New Orleans took the measure of Utah Jazz on Monday evening, the best performing team in this NBA season. Led by Zion Williamson, the Pelicans won 129-124.
Twenty-year-old Williamson was good for 26 points, ten rebounds and five assists. He especially made the difference in the third quarter. His teammates Brandon Ingram (26 pts, 5 asss, 4 rbs) and Lonzo Ball (23 pts, 8 asss, 7 rbs) also played a big part in the victory.
For Utah, it was only the eighth loss this season, but already the second in three games. On Friday, Miami was too strong (124-116). Nevertheless, the Jazz (27-8) remains comfortably leader in the Western Conference ahead of LA’s top two teams, the Lakers and the Clippers.
Philadelphia, the leader in the Eastern Conference, was not surprised by Indiana on Monday evening. The Sixers put the Pacers aside with 130-114. Shake Milton was the top scorer with 26 points, two more than Joel Embiid.
Atlanta Hawks fire coach
NBA team Atlanta threw its coach Lloyd Pierce on the door on Monday evening. Pierce pays the toll for the bad start to the season of the Hawks, who are only eleventh in the Eastern Conference for the time being.
“We thank Lloyd for his work and commitment, not only at the Hawks but also for the city of Atlanta,” said Chairman Travis Schenk in a press release from the club. “We have great expectations of the team and we think we can play a strong second half of the season with this change.”
The club has not yet appointed a successor, but according to various American media, Nate McMillan, the former Indiana coach, and Pierce’s assistant, would take over as interim coach.
Atlanta started the season with fourteen wins and twenty defeats. The play-offs are a long way off this way. The team has been waiting for a new participation in the play-offs in the NBA since 2017.
With Pierce at the helm, the balance for Atlanta is very poor. He closes with 63 wins and 120 defeats. The team was reinforced in the off-season with Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo. They had to support the young top player Trae Young, but all missed several matches due to injuries.
On Tuesday is Atlanta’s next game, at Miami.
